torusflex

torusflex

books

iBooks by James R Murphy Why String Figures An introduction into the magic of string figures and what they have to teach us. An exposition of a curriculum using string figures for all the grades of public school in the United … Continue reading →

what follows are not true translations, more they are reactions in kind. there is no individual voice for the complete du fu and these murphy versions of poems into english are a paltry beginning to such a task. the poems … Continue reading →

what follows are not true translations, more they are reactions in kind. but as i said there is no individual english vloice for the complete du fu and these murphy versions of poems are a paltry beginning to such an … Continue reading →

what follows are not true translations, more they are reactions in kind. but as i said there is no individual english voice for the complete du fu and these murphy versions of poems are a paltry beginning to such an … Continue reading →

what follows are not true translations, more they are reactions in kind. but as i said there is no individual english voice for the complete du fu and these murphy versions of poems are a paltry beginning to such an … Continue reading →

this is murphy’s li tai bo. after completing my work on du fu i have moved on to his illustrious contemporary li tai bo. what follows are not true translations, more they are reactions in kind. these poems are arranged … Continue reading →

this is murphy’s li tai bo. after completing my work on du fu i have moved on to his illustrious contemporary li tai bo. what follows are not true translations, more they are reactions in kind. these poems are arranged … Continue reading →

here are two sorts of zen adept. the first is someone who sits zazen for thirty years or so and finally achieves satori. the other is the zen fool who breaks out in laughter as a young person and never … Continue reading →

two sides of murphy

string figures
making string figures is a ubiquitous human activity whose beginning is lost in the pre-history of man. no one knows when it began, but the use of yarn, cord, sinew and threads is well established early in man’s activities. i came to string figures as a child learning from my grandmother a few very simple figures. it wasn’t until i was a math teacher in a public high school looking for ways to interest recalcitrant math students in learning complex iterative behavior that i “discovered” string figures for real. images of my students and me can be accessed below. there are also videos to help you learn how to make many new figures.

poetry
The other activity which has aroused my life-long interest is that of writing poetry. i have been doing so since i was a young undergraduate. i was never that interested in publishing my work, although a few of my friends have done so at odd moments in my life. i was more interested in the pursuit of perfect statement, an unattainable goal. in my later life i have been drawn to making murphy renditions of other poets by “translating” them into english. it is my way of becoming as close to them as i possibly can. the first i tried was rumi, and then i moved on to chinese poets, especially du fu and li tai bo. they are to be found with the other links in the menu to the right.

once when i was young i ran in the rain
down to the river, slipping, sliding down
each drop splashed into me, into the ground
free running slice in a free running grain.

once when i was bouncing grin of the wind,
running fresh as spring’s sweet morning mist
each leap was love, was life, was morning kissed,
lightly kissed in rush round corner’s bend.

i see him now, that dart down long ago
space was morning stride, down to kiss the sea
arching in the shot to find the living core.

once i felt like him, all at once to know
death is love denied, life is love set free,
each and every morning the water seeks the shore.